VI COMMANDO

Lt Charles “Bill” Courtenay Coade, formerly of the South Staffordshire Regiment, was serving as Troop Subaltern with No.6 Troop of No.6 Commando from 20th September 1940, and is noted as being appointed to Captain on 24^th June 1941.

From 25^th April 1942 until 23^rd May 1942 Capt. Charles Coade was attached to No.5 Commando.

He was reported as being hospitalised from the 23^rd December 1942 having fallen down a railway embankment at Sedjenane and injuring his back.

He was promoted to A/Major by Lt-Col. Derek Mills-Roberts on 10^th March 1943 to be effective from 26^th February 1943. He became the 2^nd-in-Command of No.6 Commando from 26^th February 1943.

He was wounded in his face by a German stick grenade whilst attempting to storm an enemy pillbox in Normandy on 6^th June 1944.  After only five weeks of recuperating from his injuries he returned to uptake his Adjutant duties, however, since being injured his replacement Tony Lewis had been promoted to OC of No.6 Commando.  Therefore, on his return on 8^th August 1944 he was promoted to Lt-Colonel and to become the OC of No.6 Commando. 

Due to recurring ill health problems sustained from his severe head injuries received on D-Day he relinquished command of No.6 Commando back to Tony Lewis on 8^th January 1945.

After further recuperation he was posted to No.2 Commando from 12^th August 1945, and was released from Military Service on 21^st May 1946.

Lt-Col. Charles Coade passed away in 1967, and is buried at Holy Trinity Church, near Millon, Cumberland. He is commemorated on a plaque to “Operation Paddle” on the War Memorial in the village of Douville-En-Auge, Normandy, France.